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Karachi, Oct 25: Medium-pacer Athar Laeeq sliced through the PNSC's top-order to help National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) record an emphatic 222-run victory in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Cricket Championship Pool 'A' at the UBL Sports Complex here on Monday.

Athar, a 28-year-old strongly-built right-arm bowler, followed his six for 18 in the first innings by picking up five for 39 as PNSC were routed for 135 in their second innings 36 minutes after tea on the penultimate day of the four-day encounter.

Athar's match haul of 11 for 57 played a key role in earning NBP the maximum 12 points in their first match of the current season.

PNSC never looked like getting the 358 runs required for victory on an unreliable pitch when they began their innings after NBP had added just six to their overnight score of 272 for nine.

Shahid Anwar was unlucky to miss a well-deserved century by seven runs as he became wicket-keeper Mutahir Shah's eighth victim of the match after adding a single to his Sunday's score of 92. His 184-ball knock spanned 247 minutes and contained seven fours.

PNSC lost six wickets for 66 runs in the afternoon session after reaching lunch at 53 for two. Athar removed Shahid Qambrani, whose 24 was the highest score by a PNSC batsman in the match, Faisal Athar and Iqbal Imam within the space of 14 deliveries while conceding 10 runs.

NBP are due to play Pakistan Customs in the next round at the same venue from Saturday (Oct 30) in a match that is bound to bring back memories of a remarkable Patron's Trophy Grade-I tie last season. On that occasion the bankers were skittled out for record low 20 before lunch on Day one on their way to a humiliating innings defeat.